Choosing your way to work.

A little over three years ago my wife and I made the decision to pack the belongings that we valued, sell the ones we didn't and depart halfway across the country to Chicago. This was not an easy decision. We would be leaving behind the comfort of home, the close proximity to our loved ones. Among the deeper desires for change, exploration and reinvention, we had simpler intentions. One of these was the ease and convenience of public transportation.

I'm not about to tout the virtues of public transportation. Anyone who has lived in or visited a large city probably knows that taking trains and buses to get around has its disadvantages. Standing in a train car, packed shoulder to shoulder with people you have never met or have any intention of knowing, even some with sub-par hygiene, isn't exactly a joyride. This post isn't about that. It is about the ways we choose to arrive at a destination.

For this example I will use work. Simple enough, right? Something most of us can, or at some point relate to. Regardless of what work represents to us, it is something we feel compelled to arrive at. We may feel reluctant, but regardless we wake up, shave or put on makeup and march out the door. Once outside we are presented with a time-space barrier to conquer- the best way to get there and to do it in a desired amount of time. For most of us, at this point, there may not be much of a choice. Every day you may take the same route in the same car, deviating only during traffic backups or errands. For those with more options you can walk, bike, take a train/bus, or cross the time-space divide virtually by working remotely via technology (not leaving physically at all).

I am choosing four examples here: taking a train, driving, biking and working virtually. You will soon see this is not a post about how we physically transport ourselves. Turned on its side and thought about more deeply, this is about how we choose to arrive places existentially.

The Train

The Train: This mode of transportation is the most passive. Once aboard, you no longer have to think much about your physical transportation. You can sleep, zone out, become lost in your thoughts, read a paper or scroll through your smart phone. An array of distractions are at your disposal. The only external signal you need to heed is the operators voice telling you your stop is coming up. The doors open and you move yourself off the train to your final destination.

The Existential Train: This is often the most common way we move through life. It is easy to coast or drift, letting external forces push or pull us along. We have destinations in mind, but we rely heavily on circumstance or fate to get us there, often it does not. In this state it is too easy to get distracted. You are scrolling through your phone, listening to music when the conductor calls out your stop. You do not hear this. You keep traveling and before you realize it you are way off course in a place you don't recognize.

The Car

The Car: Most are familiar with this means of transportation. It can be empowering to jump in behind the steering wheel, turn the key and punch the gas. In this mode we are deciding where we are going- which route to take. This complex machine pulls us along and we rarely think of all the mechanisms at play. We trust in the box of metal, plastic and fluids surrounding us, knowing it will get us there. Backups, accidents and mechanical failures happen and we know this, no matter how frustrated it makes us.

The Existential Car: This mode of diving into the world is slightly more focused than the train. We feel that we control the means pushing ourselves to new places. We can steer within the limits of the road, speed up or slow down. However, some of these feelings of control are illusions. The car can be a good upbringing, a financially sound family or the network of friends in the right places. Even though we feel we are doing it on our own, there is a box around us, protecting and propelling us forward. Something happens. Traffic stops and we are suddenly at a stand-still. An engine rod is thrown and our box falls apart. Some vehicle blindsides us at an intersection and the unthinkable happens.

The Bike

The Bike: What a splendid idea! We used to ride these simple pieces of machinery for recreation as children. As adults, if it is reasonable, we can choose to gear up and hop on, pedaling our way to work. Like the car we can choose the route. Unlike the car we are the engines of our locomotion. We pedal, breathe, brake and pedal some more, passing the cars stuck at stop lights. In a congested city, this can cut our commute time in half. The cost/time savings and health benefits make this mode seem ideal, but there is a greater level of harshness to biking. Rain, ice and wind can hinder and make things downright nasty. And the part we don't like to consider: Get hit by a car in a car- you are bruised. Get hit by a car on a bike- you are mangled or dead.

The Existential Bike: We pedal ourselves forward in life. Muscles aching and sweat on our brow, we become the engines of our progression. Obstructions are averted, hills are climbed and destinations reached while others are stuck in traffic or lost on a train. This mode of living takes boldness. You understand the discomfort and dangers. You know some days rain will soak you to the core. You push on, propelling yourself to better places. You arrive with heart beating, lungs cleared and muscles awake.

The Virtual Commute

The Virtual Commute: In the age of technology in which we live, some have the option to stay home and connect remotely. Hair disheveled, pajamas donned and body unwashed, you nestle yourself into your favorite chair or couch and log in. The virtues of this being the saving of time and energy- no two hour commute, no carbon based fuels burnt today. The downside being that you are physically disconnected from others, only experiencing things through a technological filter.

The Existential Virtual Commute: How abstract is this? Damn, I love this thought! My mind is bending, turning, trying to wrap itself around what this can mean. The first three examples were relatively simple to translate to existential means of living. This one is significantly more tricky. I suppose the best way to lay it out is in terms of Thinking. Sometimes there are destinations that can only be reached in our minds. Let's face it- a short, scrawny suburban boy has little hope of becoming the next NBA star. With a vivid imagination, he can see himself soaring above a hoop with the flicker and flash of cameras abounding from the sidelines. Our minds can become that virtual means of commuting to other realms. This might explain the appeal of science-fiction, all forms of media and even philosophy.

Each of these modes of approaching the world have their respective benefits and traps. However tricky, the final point I'd like to make is this- Knowing when to jump from one mode to the next and having the ability to do so is never easy, but it should be considered when we are drifting aimlessly along in uncomfortable states.

When the train is delayed, hop in the car. When the car dies, brush the dust off your bike and go for spin. To get from one means to the other, travel to those realms in your mind which help you crystallize new realities